Pakistan urged to stand firm against tobacco industry pressure

Islamabad
Delegates attending the World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH), held in Abu Dhabi in mid-March, have affirmed their support to Pakistan, as well as all other countries that have passed or are considering adoption of plain packaging or graphic health warnings covering more than 85% of the cigarette packs and outers. The delegates have urged Pakistan, among other countries taking similar measures, “to stand firm against tobacco industry pressure” as it inches closer to implementing its landmark decision to turn the tide against the tobacco epidemic.
The conference declaration emphasises that all tobacco products are harmful, that they are a leading cause of disease and death worldwide, that they pose an especially heavy burden on low- and middle-income countries and should be de-normalised worldwide. “Addressing the tobacco epidemic must be an essential priority in the context of reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases and protection of youth. Harms caused by tobacco are of a multi-dimensional nature, affecting multiple areas of human sustainable development (environmental, poverty, agricultural and gender related),” the declaration states, terming the tobacco industry “the vector of the epidemic.”
The conference emphasised that substantial and regular increases in tobacco excise taxes that raise price and make tobacco less affordable can effectively reduce tobacco consumption and improve public health as well as generate additional revenue that can be applied toward public health objectives. “Tobacco growers are exploited by the tobacco industry and explicit policies are needed in tobacco growing regions to support small farmers to shift from tobacco to livelihoods that are beneficial to health and the environment,” it states.
Terming the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) an effective tool for tobacco control, the conference regretted that its implementation at the national levels has fallen short of objectives. The participants called for collaboration and coordination at the local, national, regional, and global levels to fully implement the FCTC and to move tobacco control forward.
“The conference calls on the global tobacco community to redouble its efforts and to reach out to additional stakeholders and calls on governments to be held to their commitment, at the World Health Assembly in 2013 and the 6th Session of the FCTC Conference of the Parties in 2014, to reduce tobacco use prevalence by 30% by 2025 through accelerated implementation of the FCTC,” the declaration states.
The conference has also made several recommendations to be fulfilled by 2018. These include a call on all countries that are not yet parties to the FCTC, to ratify or accede to the convention. It has urged 40 countries to develop and introduce action plans and priorities policies to protect children and youth to achieve the goal of No More Tobacco in the 21st century (NMT 21C).
The conference has urged governments to treat tobacco uniquely in all trade and investment, and to support one another in excluding tobacco from trade and investment agreements that are under negotiation. “Tobacco control indicators should be included in the proposed Post-2015 sustainable development goals and tobacco should be elevated as a development priority at a global level,” it further recommends.